L: The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

P: The LORD is good to all, and filled with compassion.

L: The LORD upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.

P: The LORD is kind and just.

L: The LORD is near to all who call upon the LORD.

P: The LORD hears their cries and saves them.

L: The LORD watches over all who love the LORD.

P: We will speak the praises of the LORD forever and ever. Amen.

Invocation:

We come together, O God, thirsting to be aware of your presence. We come together, O God, hungry for your word. We come together, O God, listening for reminders of your covenant. And as we come to your table, O God, we come – – – together. Make of us a community which transcends all barriers. Make of us a holy people, worthy of our ancestry. We will offer our praise and prayers; and be careful to always glorify you, through the gift of your Son, Jesus the Christ.

Stewardship Moment:

Five loaves. Two fish. [dramatic pause]

And we make the mistake of thinking we do not have enough to make a difference in the work of the Lord. We will now receive the tithes and offerings through which God makes miracles happen.

Offertory Prayer:

Everlasting and Eternal God, we come before you with our gifts. We acknowledge that relative to the needs of the world, they seem so small, yet faithfully we bring them. We bring them knowing you have the power to multiply the effectiveness of gifts offered in faith. Use these gifts we pray as a blessing to many.

Communion Meditation:

Have you ever thought about the idea that Jesus was not Christian? Stay with me, it will make sense soon. Perhaps it would make more sense to remind you Jesus was not RAISED to be a Christian. Jesus was raised in a Jewish home, yet he had to have been Christian – for he knew himself to be the Messiah, the Son of Man, the Christ; and since the definition of Christian is believing that Jesus is the Christ – he had to have been Christian, even if he wasn’t raised Christian. When we come to the table we celebrate and remember the very phrase which compels and drives most modern believers’ faith: “This is my body, given for you.” Come and remember what it means to be Christian.

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Scripture Quotations from the New Revised Standard Version. Online Scripture links a service of the Jean and Alexander Heard Divinity Library, of Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN. Check out all of the awesome resources there at http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu